Armed conflict between ethnic Uzbeks and Armenians prevented in Russia's Urals
YEKATERINBURG. June 8 (Interfax) - The police have prevented an armed conflict between members of the Uzbek and Armenian communities in the town of Kamensk-Uralsky in Russia's Sverdlovsk region, local Interior Ministry spokesman Valery Gorelykh told Interfax.
"Seventy or so people were going to take part in the clashes. The organizers of this interethnic 'meeting' and 18 activists were detained. It has been established that 50 or 60 other people from the Chelyabinsk and Kurgan regions were supposed to join the Uzbek group," he said.
Bats, radio stations, containers filled with gasoline, as well as non-lethal and gas weapons and firearms were confiscated from the suspects.
The conflict started on April 29, when members of the Armenian and Uzbek communities had their first row at a local cafe. On the following day, two ethnic Uzbeks were taken to hospital after being attacked by several unknown people.
An ethnic Armenian was hospitalized with gunshot wounds on June 4.
He told the police that unknown people had opened fire on his car.
"Policemen were informed of the planned riots the next day: a group of people, citizens of Uzbekistan and Russia, planned to stage mass disturbances on the territory of the Armenian community," Gorelykh said.
